


photograph

by EinfachNiemand



Series: hooked on you [2]
Category: Blindspotting (2018)
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Collin hoskins being sad, Drug Use, Explicit Sexual Activities, F/M, Panic Attacks, Police Brutality, Swearing, teenage bay boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:28:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26690662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EinfachNiemand/pseuds/EinfachNiemand
Summary: “we made these memories for ourselveswhere our eyes are never closingour hearts were never brokenand time’s forever frozen still”photograph - ed sheeran
Relationships: collin hoskins / oc, daveed diggs / oc, miles turner / ashley
Series: hooked on you [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1940113
Kudos: 4





	photograph

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so, so sorry.

**_She fell in love with his fierce loyalty. He had his ride-or-die friends and would fight the world for them._ **

It was a quiet night on Lake Park Ave, and Miles and Collin were lounging at one of the tables outside Kwik Way. The two friends were cracking jokes at one another when Miles’ better half strolled up to the table, one of her own friends in tow. 

Ashley sat down next to her boyfriend and promptly placed a kiss on his waiting lips. Collin gave her friend a small smile and a soft greeting as he slid over, making room for her on his side of the table. She returned his grin and sat next to him, keeping ample space between them and wrapping her arms around herself.

“Yo, so this is Adi,” Ashley said, pointing a finger at her friend. Adi looked up from the table and gave the boys a sheepish, almost forced smile and a small wave. “I had to practically drag her ass out of the house because she was being a mopey piece.”

“That’s no way to treat your friends, Ash,” Adi scoffed, rolling her eyes playfully. Collin gave her a sideways glance and chuckled to himself. When her eyes met his, he quickly turned away, a slight blush rising on his cheeks.

“You need to get over the piece of shit, Adi. He doesn’ deserve your tears, girl,” Ash said with a concerned sigh. Miles flicked his eyes between the two girls before planting his elbow on the table and holding up a finger.

“Wait a minute. The fuck happened?” he probed. When Adi shot Ashley a pleading look, begging her not to spill the beans, Miles directed his attention to his girlfriend. He raised his eyebrows and implored her to answer the question. Despite the distance between them, Collin could feel Adi tense up as she realized there was no escaping the question.

“Her stupid-ass boyfriend fucking cheated on her,” Ashley said bluntly. “Fucked her, then fucked her over.”

“Jesus, Ash. Can we not share my entire life story?” Adi begged, pulling the sleeves of her hoodie over her hands and burying her face in the fabric to hide her embarrassment. Even though her hair was a hot mess, Collin couldn’t help but be drawn to her. Reaching out, he gave her a gentle pat on the back. After a few seconds of hesitation, she slowly leaned into him, accepting the half-hug he was offering. 

The conversations around them were drowned out when a matte orange Camaro pulled into the parking lot and paused beside the table the four of them were sitting at. The air vibrated with the sound of the bass, and Collin dropped his arm from Adi’s shoulders and turned his head to look at the vehicle just as the driver’s side window rolled down. 

“Adianna, baby, just come talk to me,” a pathetic voice called from inside the car. 

Adi let out a deep, frustrated sigh, ignoring the guy who called out her name. Glancing up at Ashley, Collin silently asked the question both he and Miles were wondering. When she gave a curt nod and shot the driver with a dark glare, he caught Miles’ eyes and jerked his head in the direction of the car. 

Without another word, the boys stood up from the table in unison. Adjusting his jacket and straightening his snapback, Collin approached the open window. Miles sat on the hood of the car with his back to the windshield and crossed his arms over his chest, paying no attention to what was going on behind him as he stared off into the distance. Collin bent down and leaned his forearms on the ledge of the open window. Looking inside the car and surveying the interior, Collin gave an impressed nod.

“The fuck do you want?” the driver snapped, scrunching his face up in disgust. Collin glowered at him.

“I hear you’s a shitbag that likes to break the hearts of pretty girls,” he accused with a cold smile. The guy scoffed and shook his head.

“Did Adianna tell you that? The little slut should’ve--” 

In a flurry of movement, Collin reached his hands through the open window and grabbed hold of the lapels of the guy’s jacket. Pulling him up off the seat, Collin leaned in close to his face, smirking as pure fear filled his eyes.

“I’m only gonna say this once, so you better fucking listen. You leave her the  _ fuck _ alone. If you don’t, the blonde boy out there,” Collin jerked his head in the direction of where Miles was sitting casually, “is gonna make it so your face ain’t so pretty anymore.” 

The guy whimpered quietly and frantically nodded his understanding. Collin let go of his jacket with a satisfied smirk and stood up straight, snapping his own back into place. Without another word, he and Miles walked back to where the girls sat at the table, the shitty Camaro peeling off behind them. Sliding onto the bench next to Adi, Collin gave her a warm smile.

“Thanks,” she muttered, scooting closer to him. He shrugged and pushed the small basket of his fries toward her. She smiled and started munching on them. Miles shook his head and gave Collin a glaringly offended stare.

“The fuck, bruh? You’ll share fries with her, but not us?”

“You ain’t cute,” Collin shot back.

“Motherfucker, shut the fuck up,” Miles yelled, pointing an angry finger at his friend. “I’m cute as shit, and you fuckin’ know it.” 

Adi let out a genuine laugh from where she sat beside him, and he couldn’t help but smile so wide that his cheeks were starting to hurt.

* * *

**_He fell in love with her unwavering ability to make him smile and appreciate the small things._ **

The four friends had made their way around the town that evening, begging for candy from strangers while being surrounded by a bunch of much younger kids. Several of the homes they visited attempted to turn them away, but Miles, always quick with his mouth, would ask them if they would rather the four teenagers be out vandalizing things or doing/selling drugs. This argument would always earn them a deep sigh and a healthy helping of sweets.

When they got back to Ashley’s house, the four of them had cooped themselves up in the basement, turning up the music, and having a good time. Ashley and Adi had taken up residence on the floor and dumped out all the candy between them, sorting it appropriately.

“I’ll give you all the blow pops and the dumdums if I can have your caramel apple suckers,” Adi said, holding out the aforementioned candies to her best friend. Ashley contemplated the trade for a moment and adjusted the headband that held the halo floating above her head.

“Throw in the SweeTarts, and you got a deal,” she responded. Adi scrunched up her face as she mulled over her options.

“Fine,” she sighed and started to gather the other candies to add to Ashley’s pile. 

At the same time, she sorted out all the Frooties and purple and blue jolly ranchers. This was a regular occurrence for the girls, ever since they became friends. They would always sort their Halloween candy and make trades, so they each ended up with their favorites. When Adi was done sorting the candies and had dropped them in Ash’s pile, Collin leaned over her and tried to steal one of the caramel apple suckers, but she promptly swatted his hand.

“Get your own, Hoskins,” she snapped. He jerked his hand back and stuck out his bottom lip, pouting and batting his eyelashes at her.

“But you took them all, how is that fair?” he asked. She rolled her eyes and studied his face for a moment, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth.

“I’ll trade you one,” she said finally, picking up one of the candies. 

“I ain’t got nothin’ to trade, though,” he groaned, letting out a dejected huff.

“You can have one sucker. If…” She trailed off as her eyes dropped to his mouth.

“If what?” he pressed, leaning in toward her slightly. 

“If you kiss me,” she muttered, holding up the sucker between their faces and spinning it between her fingers. Collin’s breath hitched in his throat as his eyes locked on her face, ignoring the spinning candy. 

“Done,” he blurted out, snatching the sucker from between her fingers and dropping it on the floor beside him.

Without another moment’s hesitation, he snaked his hand under her hair, tangling his fingers in the thick curls at the back of her head. He pulled her toward him, tilting his head at the last second to avoid bonking their noses together, and pressed his lips against hers in a firm but innocent kiss. Her lips were softer than he had imagined, and there was the lingering taste of caramel from the sucker she had finished earlier. Pulling back, he grinned as he let his hand fall to his lap, grazing the side of her neck on the way. 

Slowly, Adi opened her eyes and looked at him, chest heaving slightly with her heavier breaths. She placed both of her hands on his cheeks and pulled him back in. As their lips moved together, she ghosted one hand down the side of his neck to grip the zippered edge of his jacket. Eventually, she gave in to his demanding mouth and parted her lips, moaning softly when their tongues brushed together. 

“It’s about damn time!” Miles called from the opposite side of the room. There was a loud thud and a pained groan when Ashley smacked him in the chest.

Collin lifted his hand and held up his middle finger in his best friend’s general direction without breaking the kiss.

* * *

**_She fell in love with how caring he was. The tough guy facade he put up was quick to fade away when they were alone together. His soft spot for kids and dogs was something to be admired._ **

The arcade was alive with the sound of pops, dings, whirls, and flashing lights of all different colors. As soon as the four teens walked in the door of the newest hype spot, they were shocked to see it so packed. Pausing for a moment to get their bearings, they huddled in a group and looked around. Finally, Miles’ roaming eyes settled on the food stand and he frantically smacked Adi’s arm. She winced slightly and looked at where he was pointing.

“Yo, they got fuckin’ pretzels,” he said.

Collin shook his head and rolled his eyes. Ignoring him, Miles and Adi made their way to stand in line while Collin and Ashley meandered through the various games.

“Why do we love them,” Ashley said as she watched the other two bicker as they waited in line behind the much younger children.

“Speak for yaself,” he mumbled. Ashley abruptly stopped walking and tugged on the sleeve of his shirt. Turning to look at her, he raised his eyebrows.

“You’re gonna stand here and tell me that you ain’t in love with that girl?” Ashley accused, crossing her arms over her chest.

“What I’m supposed to do, Ash? We’ve been dating for like three months. It ain’t like we’ve been fuckin’ soulmates since we was twelve like you and Miles,” Collin trailed off, letting out a frustrated sigh. Ashley opened her mouth to respond but closed it when the other two joined the cluster. 

“Why you got that look on your face, Miles?” Ashley asked instead, looking at her boyfriend. 

Miles grumbled, muttering something under his breath and glaring at Adianna who was happily pulling apart a soft pretzel. She turned to him and stuck out her tongue.

“Fuck you and your damn pretzel,” he snapped before walking away to take his aggression out on a game of whack-a-mole. Ashley sighed and followed after him, shaking her head.

“You got the last pretzel, didn’t you?” Collin asked, raising an eyebrow at Adianna.

“Bet your ass I did,” she said, nodding innocently. 

Chuckling, Collin shook his head and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against his side. The two of them meandered through the arcade, talking about nothing in particular. Adi offered up a bite of her pretzel, which he gladly accepted. Popping the small piece of bread into his mouth, he made eye contact with a still fuming Miles, who aggressively beat the toy mole with the mallet with much more force than was necessary.

When she was finished with her snack, Collin dragged Adi to the basketball game, claiming it just as two other teenagers left it open. Adi grumbled quietly about not being very good at the game, but Collin shot her a smile as he inserted a token into the machine. Placing his hands on her hips, he pulled her to stand in front of him and pressed his body against hers. Sighing, she reached out and grabbed one of the balls that had been released when the timer started. She held it up to make a shot, and Collin rested his chin on her shoulder and placed his hands over hers, guiding them to follow proper form and follow through. 

When the ball sank flawlessly through the net, a wide grin spread across Adi’s face. She immediately picked up another ball and tossed it toward the hoop, sinking it again. Collin smiled as he watched her, gently resting his hands on her hips. When the buzzer rang, signaling the end of their paid time, Adi turned around to face him and leaned back against the machine. Collin grinned and leaned in. Just as his eyes fluttered closed and he could feel her hot breath on his lips, a small voice pulled his attention away.

“Excuse me, sir, can you teach me how to shoot a basketball?”

The two teens quickly jumped apart and Collin looked down to see a young girl with dark, coily hair pulled into a poofy bun at the back of her head. She was looking up at him with polite, pleading eyes. He gave her a big smile and crouched down to her level.

“Of course I can. What’s your name?”

“Naya,” she mumbled.

“Well, Naya. First thing’s first. If you finna be the next NBA All-Star, you gotta speak up and be heard, girl,” he said. The girl looked up at him and flashed him a wide, toothless grin. He returned the smile and held out a fist and Naya bumped her own knuckles against his. Looking around the section of the arcade they were in, he quickly found a stool by one of the tables and pulled it over to the game. Tucking his hands under Naya’s armpits, he hoisted her up and planted her feet on the seat of the stool, giving her a significant height boost and allowing her to actually be tall enough to play the game.

“Alright, you ready?” he asked. Naya nodded and he quickly slipped another token into the slot and pressed the button to start the game. 

As Collin carefully explained the ins and outs of making a proper shot, Adianna stood back and watched the pair, a smile plastered on her face. As she admired the enthusiasm Collin had for sharing his knowledge and skills, a girl appeared next to her.

“Ugh, I hate when my sister does this,” the girl said. Adi whipped her head around at the sudden sound.

“Naya is your sister?” she asked, turning back to watch Collin.

“Unfortunately. At least this time, her antics might hook me up with a hot piece,” she said. “You see that boy’s arms? I bet he could toss a girl around like a rag doll.”

Slowly, Adi turned her head back to the girl, who gave her an innocent smile. Clenching her jaw, Adi closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She ignored another provocative comment from the stranger next to her and focused on not losing her shit. When she opened her eyes, Collin was walking toward her, and a proud smile spread across his face. He stopped when he got to her side and, before he could say anything, Naya’s older sister piped up.

“Thank you so much for teaching her. She’s been begging me to, but I’m no good,” she said, voice half an octave higher than when she was talking to Adi, who rolled her eyes.

“Uh, yeah. No problem,” he replied awkwardly.

“I have to go get this one some food. If you’re not too busy, would you want to join us?” she asked, biting her lip and batting her eyelashes. Adianna rolled her eyes again, and it was starting to give her a headache.

“I’m good,” he retorted, wrapping an arm around Adi’s back and turning his attention to her as his hand rested low on her hip. Naya’s sister scoffed and ushered the younger girl away. Naya enthusiastically waved at Collin before turning and following her sister. 

After meeting back up with their friends, Adi reluctantly accepted a challenge from Miles. He had just beat the high score on the newest pinball machine and was gloating about his superior skills. However, after five solid minutes of intense concentration and nearly flawless technique, Adianna knocked him down a rank, beating his score by almost 50%. 

Ashley dropped Adi and Collin off at his mom’s house before delivering her sulking boyfriend to his own home. After saying a brief hello and giving Nancy a tight hug, the two of them disappeared into his room, shutting the door behind them. Adi flopped on his bed and let out a long, tired groan. Laying on his side next to her, Collin propped his head up on his hand.

“You’re cute when you’re jealous,” he muttered. She shot him a glare and smacked his arm.

“Shut up, I’m not jealous,” she snapped back. 

“I could see the steam comin’ outta your ears, babe,” he said with a chuckle. Reaching out, he brushed one of the curls off her forehead.

“She was  _ thirsty _ , Collin,” Adi groaned, rubbing her face with her hands and resting her forearms on her head. “It was disgusting.”

He was quiet, taking a moment to appreciate her presence fully. Placing a gentle hand on her abdomen, he coaxed her into rolling over to face him. Pulling her hips against his, he trailed his eyes down her face before settling his gaze on her mouth. Slowly, he leaned in and brushed their lips together and she reached up to cup his cheek in her palm.

“You know I love you, right?” he whispered. She nodded slightly. “Good.”

Finally, he closed the gap between them, capturing her lips in an innocent kiss. When she tilted her head to deepen it, he quickly slipped his hand under the fabric of her shirt, splaying his fingers against the small of her back as he held her close.

* * *

**_He fell in love with the way she could calm his every fear and soothe his every pain with the softest of touches. Even after that officer threw him on the ground and shoved his face into the concrete, leaving him shaking and terrified._ **

It happened in a flash. One second, the four friends were joking around, laughing and having a blast together as they walked back from grabbing a quick dinner at Kwik Way. The next second, there were red and blue lights flashing, a spotlight blinding the girls as an officer held them back, and the boys were in cuffs.

Miles sat on the curb, hands behind his back, muttering under his breath as he glared at the cop he had talked back to. Adi and Ashley were ushered away from the scene and were in the company of one of the same officer who had restrained Miles. He kept asking them to calm down, but Ashley was a little ball of rage and Adi just stood there, shock painted on her face as she watched the other officer.

Collin stood with his back facing his friends, hands on his head and legs shoulder width apart. The second cop on the scene had one hand on his gun as he ordered Collin to his knees. Without hesitation, and without moving his hands from plain view, the young man slowly sank to his knees, wincing slightly when they came in contact with the sidewalk.

The man in uniform, the “protector of the community”, barked an order at Collin. He didn’t even give the younger of the two even half a second to obey before he was shoved forward and fell face-first to the rough concrete. He yelped in pain when the officer yanked his arms behind his back and cuffed his wrists together too tightly. When he lifted his head to look around, it was immediately shoved back down and held in place by a forceful hand. The aggregate of the sidewalk scraped his cheek as he laid there.

“You can’t fucking treat him like that!” Ashley’s voice snapped Adi’s attention away from her boyfriend.

“Ma’am, please calm down,” the officer said, holding up his hands. 

“Why is he being detained?” Adi asked calmly, staring coldly into the officer’s eyes. He was silent for a moment, returning her glare.

“We were told there was an assault in the area, and he fits the description of the suspect.”

“We weren’t part of any assault. We’ve been with him the entire evening,” Adi shot back, anger rising like bile in her throat. The officer opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by chatter emitting from the radio at his shoulder. Without breaking eye contact with Adi, he reached up and pressed the button.

“Roger that,” he said simply and turned to nod at his partner before striding over to where Miles sat. Bending down, he quickly released the cuffs and filed them back into his belt. Hooking an arm under the teen’s armpit, the officer helped him to his feet before giving him a nod and gesturing that he could go stand with the girls.

The two officers talked in hushed voices for a few minutes, sending the group of friends glances every so often and laughing together. Miles had his arms wrapped around Ashley, more for his own comfort than anything, and Adi chewed on her thumbnail as she refused to look away from where the officer’s hand was pressed against the side of Collin’s head.

Finally, one of them removed the cuffs from Collin’s wrists. The kneeling officer rose to his feet, deliberately using Collin’s skull as leverage to push himself up. When the lights turned off, and the car drove off, Adianna was the first one by his side. Slowly, he moved his hands from behind his back and braced his palms against the sidewalk, pushing himself up to a sitting position. Miles and Ashley each took one of his hands and hoisted him to his feet. When he wobbled a little bit at the brief moment of vertigo, Adi wrapped her arm around his waist. She looked up at him with pleading eyes and he only blinked and turned away from her. 

The group made the rest of their journey home in silence, though they could all feel the anger radiating off of Miles. He so desperately wanted to scream and punch something, but Ashley had talked him out of another outburst. Collin and Adi were the first to split from the group, stopping at the stoop of her family’s apartment. The four shared intensely emotional hugs before waving goodbye.

When the two of them got upstairs, it was dark. Adi flipped on a light and ushered him to her bedroom. Collin sat on the bed in silence as she rushed out of the room to grab some items. When she returned, he hadn’t moved an inch. With a sigh, she placed the cup of hot tea on her night stand and sat next to him, dropping the bottle of peroxide and cotton balls into her lap.

“Are you hurt?” she asked quietly, gently taking his wrists in her hands and examining where the handcuffs had rubbed at his skin. He turned to look at her.

“No, not really. A little sore, but that’s about it,” he responded, voice quiet and small. She nodded and uncapped the peroxide. Covering the opening with a cotton ball, she quickly tipped the bottle upside down. After putting the cap back on, she set it aside and slowly raised her hand to his face. He winced as the scrapes on his cheek bubbled as the solution cleaned the wound. Adi muttered a quiet apology before continuing her work. When she was finished cleaning the dirt off his face, she scootched over on her bed, leaning against the headboard.

“Come here,” she said, opening her arms to him. 

Collin shifted to look at her and sighed. He took off his hoodie and threw it across the room before settling himself next to her. He laid his head on her abdomen, wrapped his arm around her hips, and draped a leg over hers. 

The couple laid there quietly, Adi humming softly as she stroked his braids and gently scratched his back. She had hoped that the gentle actions would put him to sleep, as they usually did, but after a while, his shoulders began to heave slightly as he gave in to the fear. She continued her motions as he sobbed into her. Finally, after his tears had soaked through her shirt, and his body had gone still with even breaths, Adi allowed herself to cry, too.

* * *

**_She fell in love with his seemingly unwavering confidence._ **

If there’s one thing Oakland natives love as much as Oakland itself, it’s sports. The Warriors had played a home game that evening, hosting their long-time rivals, the Clippers. In an attempt to show their unwavering loyalty to their hometown team, Collin and Miles had the brilliant idea of painting themselves blue and yellow.

Adi and Ashley had helped the boys cover themselves in blue and yellow early in the day. Collin was sporting a basecoat of royal, Warriors blue, with a large, yellow ‘W’ on his chest and smaller yellow accents. Miles was the opposite, being painted head to toe in yellow with a large, blue ‘W’ on his chest. 

As the four of them took part in the evening’s festivities, a block party being the biggest, the two girls frequently pretended not to be associated with the boys. This was hard, though, as they walked around with blue and yellow handprints on their jeans’ back pockets, clearly visible against the black fabric.

When the hype finally died down after a devastating loss, the four friends broke away from the crowd and made their way back home.

“Whoever’s idea it was to paint y’all’s entire fuckin’ bodies deserves a special place in hell,” Adi muttered as she and Collin climbed the front porch steps to his mother’s house. He chuckled and unlocked the front door. When they entered, Nancy was sitting at the kitchen table and she froze at the sight of the two teens. Flicking her eyes between them, she let out a deep sigh.

“My shower better be spotless when you’re done with it, Collin,” she said quietly, locking eyes on her son.

“Yes, Ma,” he muttered.

“And make sure y’all are bein’ safe. I’m too young to be a grandma,” she continued, glancing between Collin and Adi.

“Mom! _ ”  _ Collin groaned as his entire body flushed beneath the layer of blue. Nancy shook her head slowly.

“I’m just saying, I was a teenager once upon a time, too. I know a thing or two about sex--”

“ _ Mom, no! _ ” he yowled before disappearing into the bathroom. Adi tried her best to stifle a laugh behind her hand, but Nancy caught her eye and gave her a warning look.

“He’s funny when he’s embarrassed,” she said quietly, fighting a smile as she looked at the older woman. Nancy raised an eyebrow at her. And Adi gulped. “We are, though. Being safe and stuff. I promise.”

“Good. You have a bright future ahead of you, girl,” Nancy said with a smile.

Nodding, Adi made her way into Collin’s room. After quickly changing into a pair of his shorts and an old tee, she grabbed a fresh change of clothes for him as well and made her way back to the bathroom. Knocking on the door, she called out his name, thankful that Nancy was as trusting a mother as she was, despite their earlier conversation.

After hearing a faint invitation to enter, Adi slowly turned the door knob and slipped into the steamy bathroom. Dropping the clean clothes on the closed toilet lid, she climbed up onto the counter, put her feet in the sink, and leaned against the wall.

“I’m still upset the Warriors lost. Again,” Collin said from behind the shower curtain. Adi chuckled to herself.

“Either way, you and Miles looked pretty cute in your matching body paint,” she shot back, earning a loud laugh from her boyfriend.

“I’m just glad this shit’s coming off easy. I was afraid I was gonna be blue for days,” he said. 

“Good thing blue’s your color then, huh?” she smirked. Suddenly, the edge of the shower curtain slid back and Collin poked his head out, giving her a pleading look.

“Um,” he trailed off, unsure of how to phrase what he needed to say.

“You can’t reach your back, can you?” Adi said bluntly. He snapped his eyes up to look at her and slowly nodded his head. With a loud sigh, she hopped off the counter and stepped over to the side of the tub. Grabbing the edge of the curtain, she quickly pulled it aside. Collin yelped and moved to cover himself, cupping his junk in his hands.

“Jesus, babe, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before,” she muttered, rolling her eyes at him. Ignoring the comment, he turned around so that his back was facing her. “I’ll never get tired of seeing your bare butt, though. It’s cute as hell.”

“Shut up,” he grumbled. Adi laughed quietly as she began scrubbing the blue paint off his back and watched as it dissolved in the water before disappearing down the drain. Once his back was clean, she gently pulled him around so she could check the rest of him for traces of blue or yellow body paint. Finding none, she gave his butt a light smack and handed the loofah back to him.

“I fucking hate you,” he said, taking the loofah from her, one hand still shielding his groin. She laughed as she pulled the shower curtain closed again and walked back to sit on the counter. 

“Love you, too, Hoskins. And your cute ass.”

* * *

**_He fell in love with her tenderness and her ability to understand him, even when he didn’t understand himself._ **

The sun was just beginning to set beyond the overpass, and the sky was a brilliant shade of orange. Collin and Adi were walking down the side of the street, headed back from Ashley’s house. Adi had her skateboard tucked under her arm and her fingers loosely laced with his, bobbing her head to the words that were flowing from his mouth. 

The street lights had just flickered on. A few blocks ahead of them, a car had just turned on to the street, headlights making them wince slightly at the brightness. It slowed to a crawling pace as it approached the couple and Adi immediately recognized the lights on the roof. Beside her, Collin’s entire body tensed, and he squeezed her hand almost to the point of it being painful. 

The two of them slowed their pace slightly and stopped their conversation. Collin held his breath as the car passed them and Adi breathed a sigh of relief. However, when the sound of squeaking brakes filled the air, she turned around and noticed that the vehicle had pulled a U-Turn and was headed back toward them. Looking up at Collin, she saw that his eyes were clenched shut, both of his lips were clenched between his teeth, and his bottom jaw was quivering. Once again, the police car was beside them, rolling along at the same pace they were walking.

Adi risked a glance to the side and made eye contact with the white police officer behind the wheel. She watched his eyes trail down her body before locking on Collin. Snapping his gaze back to Adi, the officer scowled and shook his head before rolling up the window and driving off.

Once the car was out of sight, Adi squeezed Collin’s hand and picked up their pace, all but jogging the last block to his mother’s house. Nancy was out for the evening, so the house was dark when they entered it. As she placed her board next to the door and locked it behind them, Collin made a bee-line for his room. Adi followed him, gently closing the door behind her with a soft  _ click. _ Collin was pacing on the opposite side of the room, one hand clutching his chest as it heaved with aggressive, panicked breaths.

“I can’t fuckin’ breathe,” he rasped, voice just barely a whisper as he gasped for air. She rushed over to him and gently pushed him to sit on the edge of the bed. Kneeling in front of him, she took both his hands and held them between hers.

“Listen to me, babe,” she said, looking up at him. He raised his gaze to stare at her, breathing still erratic and cheeks wet from the tears he failed to hold back. Adi took a deep breath and continued, speaking slowly and softly.

“Collin, baby, I need you to tell me five things you can see. Can you do that?” she asked. He nodded slightly and frantically glanced around the room.

“Um… backpack, lamp, empty condom wrapper, notebook, poster…” he trailed off, looking back at her. 

“Good, good,” she said, smiling up at him. “Now take a deep breath and tell me four things you can feel.” Collin closed his eyes and inhaled as deeply as he could, letting out a long, shaking breath before opening his eyes again.

“Your cold ass hands, this itchy ass sweater, the rock that’s been in my shoe for three blocks, and, uh…” closing his eyes, he paused for a moment.

“Babe?”

“Blanket. The squishy blanket,” he said finally. Adi gave him another warm smile and shifted her position, sitting up straighter and resting her forearms on his knees.

“Three things you can hear,” she said simply.

“Train, dog, and you,” he gave her a small smile and she felt her shoulders relax a bit as his breathing bagan to calm down.

“Two things you can smell?”

“Dust and your orange shampoo.”

“One thing you can taste, or like to taste.”

“French fries.”

Bending down, she placed a gentle kiss to his wrist. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and stepped between his legs. Pulling his head to her chest, she held him close, a hand on the back of his head and the other gently rubbing his back. Collin focused on evening out his breathing, but was having a hard time. Pulling back, Adi looked down at him, cupping his cheeks with her hands.

“With me, baby,” she said. “Inhale for seven seconds, exhale for seven seconds.”

llin closed his eyes with a slight nod and breathed in deeply, Adi counting softly for him. After a couple rounds of this exercise, he could feel his pulse leveling out and the pain in his chest had subsided drastically. Laying back, he pulled her on top of him. She settled her shins on either side of his hips and leaned forward, resting her cheek against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

“What just happened?” he asked quietly.

“You had a panic attack,” she whispered. He took a deep breath and squeezed her gently.

“How did you know? Like, how did you know what to do?”

“I have them more often than I’d like to admit,” she mumbled. “They’re pretty common for people with anxiety or PTSD.” Collin didn’t respond. Instead, he held her close and gently caressed her back, enjoying the comforting feeling of her weight on top of him.

* * *

**_He fell in love with how quickly she turned into a puddle at his touch, writhing beneath him as they tangled themselves among the sheets. How she arched her body against his when all words were lost and replaced with hot touches and soft gasps. Her fingernails dug into his back, leaving marks more often than not._ **

The music was vibrating the back window of the car as well as Collin’s eardrums and chest. Miles was driving them back from a snack run and Adi and Ash were singing along to the verses at the top of their lungs. 

When the words stopped and the beat took over, Collin looked over to where Adi sat next to him. She had her eyes closed lightly, swaying her body to the beat as she held in the toke she had just taken. After she exhaled, she handed the roach back to Ashley and went back to dancing. Turning to Collin, she flawlessly spat the hook at him, accentuating the cadence with the movement of her fingers. He was impressed that she could still rap that coherently with as stoned as the two of them were. When the song finished, she flashed him a cheeky grin. She reached out to steal the sucker out of his mouth, and, holding it up to her own lips, she made eye contact with him as she dragged her tongue across the caramel apple candy.

“Gross,” he mumbled, fighting back a smile. She rolled her eyes and dropped the half-eaten sucker in the plastic trash bag in the floorboard before leaning in to whisper to him.

“Your tongue’s been in naughtier places, Hoskins. Don’t be coy with me,” she teased, hot breath tickling the side of his neck. He turned his head to look at her and she flashed him a quick wink, putting her hand high on his thigh.

Grabbing her by the waist, he pulled her into his lap. She straddled his thighs comfortably and placed her palms on his chest, slipping them beneath his jacket before running them up to rest on either side of his neck. Tilting his head upward, Collin smirked before capturing Adi’s lips in a feverish kiss. As their mouths moved together in a well-established rhythm, he slowly dragged his hands up her thighs, lightly scraping his fingernails on the bare skin along the way. Digging his fingers into the soft curve, he pulled her hips down to grind against his own. 

Breaking apart from the kiss, Adi dropped her forehead to his shoulder, groaning into the crook of his neck as she rolled her hips against him again, begging for friction where she could get it. He let out a low chuckle before pressing a searing kiss to the side of her neck.

“Can you be quiet, babe?” he whispered, lips brushing against her ear. She shivered and pulled back to look at him. Grazing his cheek with her thumb, she nodded slightly and leaned their foreheads together.

As he leaned up to press their lips together once again, he quickly moved his fingers from gripping her hips to fumbling with the button at the front of her shorts. When he finally pulled the zipper down, he slipped his hand inside the soft fabric of her panties. Adi gasped and arched her body against his when one of his hands splayed across her ass, gripping it tightly, and the other slipped a nimble digit between her folds. 

A quiet moan slipped past Adi’s lips as his fingers quickly found her clit and began circling it slowly. That was the fastest way to make her cum, and Collin knew it. Luckily, the music thumping out of the speakers was enough to drown out the soft moans that managed to escape. 

As her breathing got shallower and she felt the pressure inside her building quickly, Adi moved her hands from the sides of his neck to grab hold of the zippered edge of Collin’s jacket. Smirking, he pulled away from their kisses and trailed his lips down her jaw to her collarbone. He sank his teeth into the sensitive skin before kissing the same spot and sucking gently on the same spot. The mixture of sensations brought Adi to her peak and her thighs quivered as she gasped into his mouth, trying her best not to make too much noise.

After working her through her orgasm, Collin slowly withdrew his hand from her pants and buttoned them back up as she caught her breath. 

“I love you,” she whispered, brushing their lips together. He chuckled and gave her a sweet kiss before pulling back far enough to slip a finger into his mouth, licking the taste of her off of it.

“Love you, too, babe,” he smiled. She playfully rolled her eyes at him before turning in his lap to sit with her back against the door. 

“Smile for the camera!” Ashley called from the front seat as she turned around and looked through the lens of a disposable Kodak. 

Adi whipped around and stared at her best friend, painfully aware of the dark bruise forming on her collarbone. Collin gently draped an arm across her lap and wrapped the other around her back. The pair of them unceremoniously held up a middle finger just as the flash of a camera filled the car.

* * *

**_She fell in love with the way he loved her, even when he said he didn’t anymore._ **

**Author's Note:**

> Also posted on my tumblr under the same username.  
> My ask box is always open for drabble requests. (And if none are requested, I have a couple deleted scenes from this that are *chef's kiss*


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